Mr. Lauren and Mr. Broadway lead the way

L’Art de l’Automobile: chefs-d’oeuvre de la collection Ralph Lauren

Last Thursday night in Paris at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs on the Rue de Rivoli, Mme. Helene David-Weill and Mr. Ralph Lauren hosted a dinner to celebrate the opening of L’Art de l’Automobile: chefs-d’oeuvre de la collection Ralph Lauren.

The exhibition showcases a selection of 17 classic sports cars from Ralph Lauren’s personal collection of beautifully designed European automobiles created between the 1930s and the 1990s. With this collection Mr. Lauren shows that the automobile is a major art form created by the European automobile industry’s biggest names: Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Porsche and the highest point of this unique collection, the Ferrari.

The exhibition which was curated by Rodolphe Rapetti and displayed by sceneographer, Jean-Michel Wilmotte, runs through August 28th, Tuesday to Sunday 11 am to 6 pm; Thursdays until 9 pm.

Andrew Lauren, Ricky Lauren, Ralph Lauren, and David Lauren

Michelle Yeoh and Jean Todt

Mollie King and David Gandy

Ricky Lauren, Ralph Lauren, and India Hicks

Jean Reno and Zofia Borucka

Mélanie Thierry

India Hicks

Jefferson Hack

Zhang Ziyi

Lambert Wilson

Bentley Blower, 1929

Mercedes-Benz SSK “Count Trossi,” 1930

Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic Coupé, 1938

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Scaglietti, 1960

Ferrari 250 LM, 1964

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupé, 1955

Stewart F. Lane is Mr. Broadway these days, with a lot to celebrate: his shows for this season; Priscilla Queen of the Desert at The Palace Theater, War Horse at Lincoln Center and the recent sold out-production of Merchant of Venice are thrilling audiences and pulling in lots of nominations.

His new book, Jews on Broadway, about the history of the Jewish contribution to American Theatre (which is beyond vast), is being released by McFarland Publishing.

Several years ago, Mr. Lane received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which is listed in the Congressional Records, and this coming Saturday he will be among those present at Ellis Island to watch as his father–in-law, James Comley, receives the 2011 Ellis Island Award.

Last Saturday night, however, Stewart Lane’s wife (and producing partner) Bonnie Comley threw a black tie dinner dance at Doubles as a “surprise” for her husband.

The S.L.E. Lupus Foundation drew more than 250 guests to its spirited New York Bag Ladies Luncheon and Handbag Auction at the stylish 583 Park Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Thursday, April 14th. Many walked away with new designer arm candy while helping to raise over $200,000 for research and support services for lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects more than 1.5 million Americans.

Reknown opera soprano and Foundation board member Jessye Norman hosted the festive affair, which honored Dr. Nancy Snyderman, chief medical editor of NBC News, and accessories designer Mary Norton, creator of the “MooRoo” evening bag line and “Frosting by Mary” for the Home Shopping Network.

Blake Lively’s Chanel Madamoiselle handbag

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s Golf Bag

“Diagnosing lupus is like hunting a panther in the dark,” said the statuesque Ms. Norton upon accepting the Foundation’s “Woman of Achievement” Award. “Now a wife and mother, Norton recalled years of struggling with such problems as depression, rosacea, and pregnancy loss before finally being diagnosed with lupus.

If you think you might have lupus, “take your pit bull friend—the one with the biggest mouth—to the doctor with you,” said Dr. Snyderman upon accepting her award. A powerful advocate for the health of women and girls, she movingly described the first young woman she ever diagnosed with lupus, a “textbook case” out of central casting. “This [cause] means the world to me.”

Courtney Cox handbag

S.L.E. Lupus Foundation Executive Director, Margaret Dowd, also welcomed such guests as Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, who will be honored along with her husband, U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (N.J.), at the Foundation’s November 21, 2011 Gala. Foundation board member Betsey Selkowitz co-chaired the event with Bloomingdale’s Elizabeth Schweitzer Miller.

The luncheon’s lively “silent” auction found bidders competing for bags donated by luxury brands such as Chanel, Burberry, Valentino, and Prada, as well as bags once owned by such celebrities as Liza Minnelli, Heidi Klum, Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively, Beyoncé, Courtney Cox—and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who contributed a golf bag.

Celebrity bags

All proceeds from the winning bids will support the lupus cause.

Founded in New York City in 1970, the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation is the only organization solely dedicated to providing education, social services, and research support for lupus in New York City. An under-publicized yet widespread and potentially life-threatening disease, lupus primarily targets women between the ages of 15 and 44, among whom it is a leading cause of premature heart attack, kidney disease, and stroke.

The luncheon is a lead-up to May’s Lupus Awareness Month activities in New York City, during which the Foundation will host several education and awareness events across the five boroughs, including a two-day stop at Grand Central Station.